2017 MASTERS: A guide to the five Australians at Augusta
Will one of these five Australians be wearing the green jacket on Monday morning?
Five Australians will tee it up at Augusta National this week. Four of them have finished in the top-5 at least once before while the fifth Aussie is an amateur and on debut at Augusta. And while we’re not sure he can finished in the top-5 this week, he’s odds on for a top-5 finish before his career is done.
Will an Australian be wearing the green jacket next Monday morning? It’s no certainty with Dustin Johnson on a Tiger-like run at the moment and Jordan Spieth out to banish the memories of his 2016 collapse. But it’s by no means out of thew question. And we think this first bloke is our best chance in 2017
Marc Leishman always sits in the shadows of Jason Day and Adam Scott at the majors but we’re putting him in the spotlight first this week as we think he’s the best chance of the Australians.
Leishman’s record at The Masters is great but he did almost win it in 2013 when Adam Scott went on to claim the green jacket. And he’ll be buoyed by some great recent form. His victory at the Arnold Palmer Invitational wasn’t a complete surprise as his game was looking good in the week’s before. And he’s still looking in good touch. Definite chance this week.
Jason Day is in good spirits after his mother’s successful surgery after she was diagnosed with cancer. By all reports she may even be making the trip to Augusta to see her son play their for the first time.
So despite an interrupted preparation, Day has been practising a lot at Augusta over the past week. And we know how Day can perform against the odds.
Adam Scott is flying well under the radar this week. The 2013 Masters champion has changed is preparation for the majors after a few lean years, including getting Steve Williams on the bag a week earlier.
Scott didn’t make the cut last week, along with a bunch of other big name players but a few more days practising around Augusta probably isn’t such a bad thing. But with only five tournaments under his belt this year, we’re not sure what Scott will bring this week. We’ll have a good idea where he is at after round one.
Rod Pampling arrives at Augusta National for his first Masters appearance in 10 years. Pampling has played The Masters on three previous occasions and made the cut every time, earning his spot in the field this year thanks to victory at the Shriners Hospital for Children Open last November.
The 47-year-old finished in a tie for 37th when he last teed it up at Augusta in 2007 but his best finish came in 2005 when Pampling finished in a tie for 5th place on début. It may be too much to ask for Pampling to replicate those heroics this year after missing the cut in his last four of five starts, but with very little to lose Pampling will have fewer nerves than most when the tournament tees off on Thursday.
Curtis Luck earned his place in the field twice. As US Amateur champion and Asia-Pacific amateur champion. This will be Luck’s final tournament as an amateur and with the golf game and mental strength of a more experienced golfer, this will be fun to watch. If he doesn’t get noticed on the world stage this week, he will soon enough.